Tasteful Auction in Maryland

Morgan O'Brien, one of the founders of wireless company Nextel Communications, and his wife, Belle Brooks O'Brien, purchased this roughly 22,500-square-foot mansion in Queenstown, Md., for $8 million in 1999, according to county records. The roughly 19-acre property includes more than 2,000 feet of water frontage on the Wye River, a formal English rose garden and a two-story pool house.
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They bought the property, known as Penderyn Estate, from Mario Boiardi, the son of businessman Hector Boiardi—better known as Chef Boyardee, the smiling face on the brand of canned pasta products. The home, influenced by Regency-style architecture, was completed around 1988, after a four-year construction period, Mr. O'Brien says. He had visited the home several times while the Boiardi family owned it. 'That's how I really fell in love with the place,' he says about the events he attended there.
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'We have done very little over the [years], because we loved the way it was,' Mr. O'Brien says. 'It's very beautifully laid out,' he says, with water views visible from most parts of the home, thanks to the manor's H-shaped design. The foyer is shown.
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'The whole influence of this house was British,' Mr. O'Brien says, with marble floors in the entry leading to less formal areas with various kinds of wood flooring. Ceilings throughout the home are 12-feet tall. In keeping with the home's design, the owners filled the space with antiques and reproductions for 'an English country look.'
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Mr. O'Brien says the dining room, pictured here, was 'the clencher room when we saw it.' The couple was looking for a large entertaining space to fit family and friends in the home during holidays. He says the striped upholstered walls also help dampen sound when things get noisy.
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The conservatory is a two-story space with marble floors and with views of the river on two sides. A faux painting on the ceiling creates the impression of nature creeping into a glass roof, he says.
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The home includes eight bedrooms, nine full bathrooms and three half baths. Mr. O'Brien says there are 11 fireplaces in the home.
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A home office is pictured. Mr. O'Brien, 69, says now that their children are grown, they'd like to move to smaller property. 'It's the classic downsizing story,' he says. Mr. O'Brien left Nextel in 2005 and now serves on the board of directors for other telecom companies. Mrs. O'Brien is retired from a career in public affairs.
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'This house doesn't have a single element that wasn't custom,' Mr. O'Brien says, from the crown moldings to the oak wood paneling in this billiard room, which he says was completed by Amish artisans. 'They were fanatical on getting it right,' he says about the original owners of the property.
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The family room, part of which is pictured, includes a large bar that Mr. O'Brien added and a 17th-century limestone fireplace. 'At Christmas, I think I got up to maybe seven going at the same time,' he says about the home's many fireplaces.
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The property is headed to absolute auction on July 19, with DeCaro Luxury Real Estate, meaning it will sell to the highest bidder. The winner will have the option to purchase additional surrounding acreage, including a large dock on the river. Once listed for nearly $15 million in late 2010, it was last listed at $7.75 million, according to Daniel DeCaro, president and founder of DeCaro Luxury Real Estate.
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